Everyone's Afraid of Something
by HowlynMad
Summary: Everyone has fears. Everyone. The Nightmare King will find yours. And when he does, you won't wake up. Let me know what you think. CHAPTER 2 UP.
1. Preface

Preface  
  
He could hear the little piglet's squeals from just up ahead. He had been running her in circles the last ten minutes. Letting his anticipation build. It was like sex. The chase was luscious foreplay. He drew it out for as long as he could stand.  
  
Her fear caused ripples of sensation along his skin. A rising tide of pleasure that made him shiver with delight. She was so innocent. Her soul would be all the sweeter. He only needed to give her one more little push. Then she'd be ready. "Ready for Freddy," he chuckled.  
  
There was nowhere left to run.  
  
The young girl cowered near the massive boiler. The heat rising in waves around her. Her eyes were glazed and she was rocking back and forth on her heels.  
  
The Nightmare King walked slowly towards her dragging his blades along the pipe. Screeeech, screeeech.  
  
There. She was ready. He could feel it. She had reached a fever pitch of terror that could go no higher.  
  
It was time.  
  
He towered over her huddled form. Chuckling low in his throat, he watched her. His whole body tensed with the need for release. The release that only her soul would provide him.  
  
Raising his gloved hand high, he clicked the blades once and drove downwards. She didn't make a sound as death took her.  
  
Freddy was vaguely disappointed that she hadn't screamed at the caress of his blades. She was so beautiful now, covered in deep crimson. He brought his hand to her ravaged face and caressed her cheek lightly. Her dream form began to glow. A soft white haze that grew brighter and brighter around her. Freddy stepped back and waited.  
  
A glowing white mist rose and began spinning. The Nightmare King smiled, "Come to me." He opened his arms wide, beckoning.  
  
The light rushed forward piercing Freddy's chest. The energy spread through his body with rapid intent. It filled his every pore. He moaned with pleasure. Dropping to his knees, he began to laugh. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself shuddering as the last of the energy was consumed. As the last of the child's soul became his.  
  
Forever. 


	2. Calling Freddy Out

WARNING: This is a Nightmare on Elm St. fanfic, it contains graphic Freddy gore (no surprise) and some adult language and themes. If you are under 13 years old you probably shouldn't be reading it. And if you are the squeamish type or are easily offended then the same goes for you too. This story WILL have a happy ending. Of course my idea of a happy ending is wholesale death and destruction..FREDDY RULES THE WORLD! Um, erm, did I just say that out loud?  
  
Everyone's Afraid of Something  
  
Chapter One  
  
**[The souls of the children make me strong]** Freddy Krueger  
  
Springwood High School Cafeteria, October 2, 2003  
  
"Richard Speck?"  
  
Staci shook her head.  
  
"John List?"  
  
"Nope"  
  
"Ok, what about Fred Krueger?" Mike pondered.  
  
"John Wayne Gacy killed more than Krueger did."  
  
"He had more "confirmed" kills you mean," Jason interjected. "We only know for sure that Krueger offed twenty-three. There were the disappearances."  
  
"Yea, well, that's the way the rules work. No bodies, no credit applied," Staci stated emphatically. She leaned back tucking her long brown hair behind her ear.  
  
"Yea, but I think he should get extra points for brutality. I mean he targeted children. Did some really sick shit, you know," Mike stated.  
  
"That's just plain gross. I don't even wanna know," Annalee responded. Her normally perky features twisted in disgust. "Why I even hang out with you guys is beyond me."  
  
"Well at least he didn't eat them," Jason teased, "I mean it could be worse." "Look at Hannibal Lector." "And," he said looking at Annalee, "You hang out with us because despite your cutie pie looks you're just as warped as the rest of us."  
  
Annalee swatted at Jason playfully. "Ok, that's enough for me! "I don't want to know anymore about psycho serial killers," she stated.  
  
"Yea but Krueger wasn't just a psycho killer. He keeps killing from beyond the grave. He's the boogeyman!" Mike grinned.  
  
Staci lightly punched him in the arm. "Stick with the facts please."  
  
"All the dead kids around here through the years aren't fact enough for you?" Jason questioned. "The suicide rate in Springwood is 5X the average, the rate of "accidental" death among teens/preteens is 12X the average. Springwood also has more mental illness per capita than any other city in the US."  
  
"Its all bullshit," Mike said between bites of his sandwich. That part's nothing more than an urban legend. "He's dead, dead, dead." And when you're dead.. you're not coming back. Period.  
  
**[I ..am.. eternal]**  
  
"Come on Mr. Macho Jock, you saying you're not just a little creeped out by the whole Freddy Krueger legend?" Annalee teased.  
  
"Hell no! Why should I be?" Mike challenged. "I mean if it were all true then why is this guy not killing everybody in their dreams? Why just a few every once in awhile?" He leaned back in the chair. A self satisfied grin on his face.  
  
"Well," Jason began, "No one really knows for sure what Freddy is or how he chooses his victims. It's said that he went after the kids of the parents that burned him to death. "But there were others. A lot of others," he finished.  
  
"Hm, every serial killer I've ever heard of follows a pattern of some sort," Staci offered. "Whether it's killing blondes or prostitutes or in Krueger's case, kids. They seldom deviate from that pattern."  
  
"You're all forgetting one important thing!" Mike interjected. "Krueger's dead! Been dead for a long time. This dream boogeyman stuff is crap!"  
  
"If you're so sure of that Mike, why don't you invite Krueger over for some one on one dream time," Staci taunted.  
  
"Very funny," Mike scoffed.  
  
"You know that could actually work," Jason responded.  
  
"What?" Annalee questioned.  
  
"Calling him out. We don't know how Krueger gets into your dreams," Jason stated. "I mean why some kids and not others." Why there are periods of time when he's inactive."  
  
"This is the most lame ass discussion," Mike scoffed. "You're talking like the legend is real."  
  
Annalee looked uncomfortable. "All this is going to do is give us self made nightmares, what do they call it? The power of suggestion."  
  
"I guess there's really only one way to find out if he's real or not huh," Jason grinned.  
  
"We extend an invitation."  
  
*************************************************************  
  
The boiler room rumbled. It's fires burned eternally hot. The pipes clanked and hissed as steam coursed their lengths. The air hung heavy with moisture. This was home. Home to a being that was not a man and yet not quite a demon. The truth lie somewhere in between.  
  
The sound of footfalls came from the upper level. The Nightmare King was stalking his realm.  
  
He paused at the top of the stairs to shift the small figure in his arms. Her long blonde curls were draped over his shoulder. The child he cradled was still. So very still.  
  
He strode down the stairs towards the large boiler. There he lay her small body. She wore a frilly lace dress. At one time, it had been purest white. Now it was deep red. His expression was almost sad. It always came to this in the end. They all left him.  
  
Pulling bloody ribbons from his pocket, he entwined them in the child's hair. It wasn't really fair. She was such a beautiful little thing. He had enjoyed tormenting her immensely. But sooner or later, they all succumbed. Leaving him alone and wanting.  
  
He pulled the child into his arms, rocking her gently. Then he threw open the furnace door and tossed her inside. The flames shot up greedily. He really didn't know why he bothered with this inane ritual. After all, there wasn't really any corpse to dispose of. It was all symbolic. Something he clung to from his living days.  
  
He cocked his head to the side. A deep purr rose from his chest. So, someone wanted to play. He was always amused when the piggies deliberately sought him out. They always seemed so surprised when he actually answered their calls.  
  
He grinned. Time to play.  
  
Not too graphic YET. I do want to get inside that twisted mind of his though. See what I can stir up. 


	3. Let the Dreams Begin

When a big storm comes, you can feel it in the air. The ozone charges the atmosphere and you know, just know, there is something beyond the realm of the ordinary about to happen. Staci liked storms though. She liked facing such power, knowing at any moment she could be enveloped by it. Her mother had dragged her in the house more than once as she stood in the backyard watching the lightening reach down to caress the earth with a deadly touch. She faced things head on. That was her gift.  
  
October 2, 2003 10pm  
  
Staci yawned. This had to be the most boring history assignment she'd ever had. She tossed her notebook off the bed and stretched. Grabbing her favorite Ann Rule book off the nightstand, she flipped through it. Now this, was fascinating stuff.  
  
She couldn't decide what she wanted more, to become a criminal psychologist or go into forensics. But of course, she had to make it through high school first. Yawning again, she looked at the clock. It was past ten and she had a quiz first period. "Better get my ass to sleep," she figured and fumbled with the alarm, setting it to six a.m.  
  
"Just one more thing to take care of first," she thought as she made her way down the hall to the bathroom.  
  
Leaning over the sink, Staci brought her mouth to the faucet, slurping up the water slowly. She savored the cool sensation of it pouring down her chin. A soft gurgle emanated from the overflow hole at the front of the basin. Two hairy, jointed legs protruded from the tiny porcelain opening. Pawing at the air, they reached out.  
  
Staci pulled back wiping the water from her chin.  
  
"Ugg!" she exclaimed. A small spider not more than two inches long crawled on the mirror. It's eight legs reflected into sixteen.  
  
"God those things are creepy," Staci murmured looking at the small invader. She could see its jointed legs, the moisture that was caught in its hair- covered body. It was repellent.  
  
She blinked.  
  
Curiously, she could see the details of the spider as if it were under a magnifying lens. What the hell was going on? It's mandibles clicked as it cleaned the maw of its mouth. The sound amplified a million times. Rooted to the spot, fascinated and disgusted at the same time, Staci stared.  
  
Another spider appeared in the sink basin crawling from its porcelain cave. "What the..," she leaned in closer.  
  
Staci could hear it skittering its way along the bowl. "Ok, that's it!" she stated. "I've had enough," she reached down and pulled her slipper off. Raising the slipper for a killing blow, she glanced in the mirror and froze.  
  
There was a spider in her hair! And then another! And another! Her breath caught in her throat. She cried out and began swatting at her head. She could feel those jointed legs crawling on her scalp. She could feel their hairy bodies rubbing her skin. She danced around the room screaming and hitting at herself. Spinning and pulling at her hair as tiny little mouths starting biting.  
  
A flood of arachnids spilled from the overflow. They came up the drain and poured out the spout. The showerhead began to vibrate as a cascade of spiders filled the tub. The toilet gurgled and belched up even more spiders.  
  
Staci screamed even louder. Throwing herself at the door and pulling, it wouldn't budge. They were crawling up her legs! She could feel them under her pajamas. She smacked herself repeatedly trying to staunch their flow up her pants legs. She could feel them now in her most intimate area. They were wiggling and insinuating themselves into every crevice.  
  
Staci opened her mouth wide to vent her utter horror but no sound was forthcoming as the swarm filled her mouth. A buzzing grew in her head. Louder and louder until it engulfed her entire world.  
  
Drawing in a ragged breath, she threw herself backwards plowing into the headboard with a wump. Staci looked around her bedroom in shock.  
  
The alarm clock continued its incessant buzzing.  
  
******************************************************************  
  
Beyond the invisible veil, a figure watched. A sly grin split his scarred features.  
  
"So it begins." 


End file.
